piano: Myung-Whun Chung

Myung-Whun Chung is Korea's most celebrated conductor. But he began his career as a pianist, playing with the Seoul Philharmonic at seven, taking second prize at the 1974 Tchaikovsky Competition in Moscow, and appearing in the family trio with his sisters, violinist Kyung-Wha and cellist Myung-Wha. The popular repertoire for his first solo piano CD, recorded last year at the age of 60, is full of personal and childhood associations which he details in a note. Sadly, his handling of evergreens like Schubert's Impromptu in G flat, Debussy's Clair de lune and Beethoven's Für Elise sound careful, even cautious, rather than fresh. The style is gentle, the tone is often lovely. But the music-making is often hackneyed and rather dull – not what his contributions to the family trio's performances might have led you to expect. url.ie/kh67